Chest bed



Aug. 22, 1944. K 2,356,321

CHEST BED Filed Oct. 19, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I II I I II I I llllllllllllllllllllllllil NW Willa/22 A. Irick megs Bnbentor Aug. 22. 1944. v w. A. [RICK 2,356,321

CHEST BED Filed 001:. 19, 1943 2 Shets-Sheet 2 Zfinventor \Afilliam A. Irjck Patented Aug. 22, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE cnes'r BED William A. Irick, Lexington, Ky. Application October 19,1943, Serial No. 506,891 I 1 Claim. (oi. -152) I The present invention relates to improvements in chest beds, and has for an object to provide in a single piece of furniture a combination chest of drawers and a bed in such relative arrangement and disposition that the furniture is susceptible to embodiment in structures conforming to different periods and designs, woods and finishes, and in all standard bed widths and lengths.

Another object of the invention is to provide a foldable furniture normally collapsed into what simulates a chest of drawers but which may be folded out to provide a bed when the occasion demands.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a composite piece of furniture in which the chest of drawers, in addition to its simulated character, may also possess a utilitarian feature in a cedar chest in the lower part or pedestal which provides a support about which upper front and rear sections of the chest are hinged for foldable mounting.

Other features and objects of the invention reside in constructions and arrangements by which headboards and footboards of a bed are nested parts of a chest, and in which infolded parts of the chest swing out to provide feet or supports for the bed section.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claim appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure l is a perspective view of a new piece of furniture constructed in accordance with the present invention and illustrated in the collapsed form of a chest of drawers.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary corner portion, taken on an enlarged scale of such furniture.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the furniture shown partly in the outfolded condition.

Figure 4 is a magnified fragmentary side view showing to advantage the hinge and brace construction of the footboard support.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the pedestal and rear headboard bed section, with parts broken away and parts shown in section, and illustrating the bed position of the furniture, and

Figure 6 is an end view of the furniture taken from the footboard end thereof with the parts in the bed position, and with portions broken away and parts shown in section.

Referring more particularly to the drawings Ill designates a pedestal or center support carried upon a base H. In the latter is slidably mounted a bottom drawer [2 of cedar or other desired wood.

Above the pedestal is a division line l3, shown in Figure 1, which splits the upper portion of the furniture along a longitudinal central line into a front section l4 and a back section IS. The front section is composed of a front wall I6, having the front panels I! and 18, the side walls l9 and 20 and the end wall 2| which constitutes the footboard of the bed.

Hinge supports 22 serve to connect the front wall l6 of the front section with the front top edge of the pedestal I0; and hinges 23 mount the front panel I! for outward swingin movement from the front wall l6. Hinge leaves 24 and 25 are secured respectively by screws or other fastenings 26 and 21 to interior faces of the panel I! and end wall 2 I.

In a similar way the bottom hinges 22 having their hinge leaves 28 and 29 fastened respectively to the top edge of pedestal l0 and the lower edge of the front wall l6.

As shown more particularly in Figure 4 bracket arms 30 and 3! are pivoted together at 32 at their proximate ends. Their distal ends are coupled respectively by pivots 33 and 34 to the front section I4 and to the swinging panel 11.

The rear section I5 is constructed much like the front section, having a bottom or back wall 35, side walls 36 and 31 connected therewith and an end wall 38 having an extension 38 constituting'the headboard of the bed. The end wall 38 may be connected to the rear wall 35 and to the upper ends of the side walls 36 and 31. Let into the rear wall 35 is a swinging rear panel 38 which act-s as a support or foot piece or a prop for the headboard end of the bed. Brace arms 4| and 42 are pivoted together and respectively to the rear panel 39 and the rear section I5.

Hinge supports 44, similar to hinges 22, connect the rear furniture section IE to the pedestal l0 along the rear upper edge of the latter. A raised block 43 on the pedestal is of a size to snugly receive the end walls and the front and rear walls of the two sections l4 and 15 when shifted to the upright position. The block thus serves to reinforce and strengthen, particularly the side walls I9, 20, and 36, 31 at their otherwise unsupported ends.

In the use of the device, the parts are normally in the folded condition shown in re 1 in which the furniture is to all appearances a chest of drawers in which all drawer fronts are simulated with the exception of the bottom drawer which may be of cedar interior and used for storage space.

When converted to a bed, the two sections l4 and I5 are parted at l3, being swung down upon their respective hinges 22 and 44, the panels I! and 39 being pulled out to the extent permitted by the braces 30, 3| and 4|, 42. When lowered onto these panels or supporting parts, the bottom walls l6 and 35 of the sections extend in horizontal alignment with the block 43 at the top of the pedestal. This block 43 thus subserves an additional function of forming part of the bed piece or bottom. Folding coil springs or link fabric springs may be used for interior mattress support, the same being retained by the side walls I9, 20, 36, 31.

In erecting the sections l4 and I5 from the bed position to that of the chest, the toggle lock formed by the alignment of the pivots of the braces 30, 3| and 4!, 42 is broken by hitting with the hand the central portions of the braces; whereupon the panels I7 and 39 may be folded into place, the two sections M and I5 lifted about the hinges 22 and 44 and swung into the collapsed position With the footboard 2! sliding within the extension 38" of the rear section. Thus the end wall 38, 38 of the rear section constitutes the top of the chest.

In the bed position, there is only a very small gap, the thickness of the rear wall 35 (Figure 5) between such rear wall and the pedestal block 43 which is insignificant as compared with the ability of the spring and mattress to span sucl'l It will be understood that the hinges 2?. and 23 may be concealed hinges in the commercial manufacture of the invention, these hinges-being exposed for the purpose of better illustration of the mechanical features of the invention and to' indicate more clearly the mode of operation of opening and closing the furniture. Furthermore, as respects the prop or leg 38 illustrated in Figure 5, this prop may be so arranged as to be fiush, or in vertical alignment, with the headboard 38. These and other modifications of de tail will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

It is to be understood that I have shown only one form of the invention, but that such invention is susceptible of embodiment in a variety of forms; that the headboards and footboards may be cut out or embellished in accordance with any appropriate design; that any arrangement of false or real drawers may be made in the furniture; and that many modifications may be made within the scope of the invention in accordance with the terms of the following claim.

What is claimed is:

An improved furniture comprising a pedestal, two mutual sections carried in said pedestal and each comprising a bottom wall, side walls and one end wall at the upper outer part of the section, the lower inner open end of each section hinged as to its bottom wall to the top part of the pedestal to enable the sections to assume a side-byside upright position simulating a chest of drawers and to be swung down in opposite directions with the bottom walls of the two sections in horizontal alinement with one another, a block upstanding from the pedestal stepped in from the sides of the pedestal and having its upper sur face substantially flush with the upper faces of the section bottom walls in the lowered positions of the sections, the sides of the block snugly receiving thereagainst the inner faces of the side and bottom walls in the erect positions of the sections. 7

WILLIAM A. IRICK. 

